Commander's Emergency Response Program Training Pilot Program

Commander's Emergency Response Program Training Pilot Program

What is it'

The Commander's Emergency Response Program (CERP) is used to benefit the local population of Third Army/U.S. Army Central's (ARCENT's) area of operations. To avoid recent misunderstanding, abuses and misappropriations at the battalion- and company-level, ARCENT is changing how it executes CERP.

What has the Third Army/U.S. Army Central done'

To improve management controls, ARCENT is updating the CERP Guidance. ARCENT is collaborating with several other organizations to implement an institutionalized CERP training program.

The Financial Management School at Fort Jackson, S.C., is helping ARCENT develop a CERP distance training course. This initiative is funded by Department of the Army Headquarters and will use current tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) training materials and policies from ARCENT, Multi-National Corps-Iraq (MNC-I) and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan (USFOR-A).

U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) is also collaborating with ARCENT to complete statements of work to contract three mobile training teams (MTTs) that will conduct CERP Project Purchasing Officer (PPO) and Paying Agent (PA) instruction, as well as scenario-based training at National Training Center, Joint Readiness Training Center, Battle Command Training Program and Joint Multinational Readiness Center. MTTs will use current TTPs, training materials and policies from MNC-I and USFOR-A.

What continued effort does Third Army/U.S. Army Central have planned in the future'

Phase I of ARCENT CERP Pilot program has been underway at Camp Buehring since early June 2009 to reinforce the duties and responsibilities to MNC-I PPOs and PAs.

In Phase II, the pilot will be refined and MTTs will be designated to instruct as an optional pre-deployment module throughout the U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility (AOR).

In Phase III, the training will become mandatory for all forward deploying leaders.

Brig. Gen. Phillip E. McGhee, director of Resource Management for ARCENT, will attend the three-hour training in July to gain insight into ways of defining the CERP program into a standard CERP training module for the Department of the Army.

Why is this event important to the Army'

ARCENT is establishing a standard training program for unit commanders to use before they deploy to the ARCENT AOR. This program is an opportunity for ARCENT to demonstrate its emphasis on responsible management of the taxpayer's dollars and helping the Iraqi and Afghan people.